HEARD SEEN& Heard

achieved under Gary’s years of extraordinary vision and leadership. Together with the dedicated sta , board, partners, and community, we will further Downtown Ithaca’s vitality and enjoyment for those who live, work, study, and visit here.” roughout Fergusons 24 year tenure with the DIA, downtown Ithaca grew to welcome three new hotels, a renovation of the Commons, and the construction of more than 1,000 units of housing. Rohrer will be working to build on the growth that downtown Ithaca has experienced under the leadership of Ferguson.

During her years in Baltimore, Rhorer served as the President of the Midtown Community Bene ts District — similar to a BID in New York State — where she headed a sta of 30 and presided over the interests and needs of four di erent neighborhoods. She also served 11 years as the Vice President for Economic Development & Planning with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.

At the DPB, Rohrer worked on large and small projects that touched all sectors of the downtown community. She worked on the Downtown Strategic Plan, the Downtown Retail Plan, and a Downtown Open Space Plan. In recent years, she has served as a consultant specializing in long-term planning and project management and assessment.

Grant Program

e grant program has been named ‘ e Downtown Ithaca COVID Recovery Small Business Grant Program’ and is aimed at helping downtown businesses recover from the pandemic. It will make 10 grants of up to $8,000 each available to businesses that meet the program’s criteria.

e grants can be used for both capital improvements and marketing costs. Among the eligible uses are leasehold improvements, signage, equipment, furniture and xtures, advertising, and e-commerce.

e program was created utilizing funding provided by the Tompkins County Recovery Fund. is fund allocated federal ARPA funds to a variety of community projects, including the Downtown grant program.

To qualify for one of the grants, businesses will need to demonstrate how they were impacted during the pandemic and how they are positioned to recover, grow, and move forward in this post-pandemic marketplace. Women and minority businesses will receive priority scoring for this program. Businesses also must have been in operation before March 2020.

e deadline for application is June 15, 2023. Interested businesses are encouraged to apply and call the DIA o ce at 607-2778679 if they have questions or need further information. Application materials can be found at: https://www.downtownithaca. com/dicrsbg/

DIA Executive Director Gary Ferguson has said that the grant program was created to address several major community and business challenges. According to Ferguson, “It helps to alleviate continuing COVID-19 impacts; it supports small local businesses; it prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business community; it helps build business resiliency and sustainability; and it aligns with the County’s Comprehensive Plan.”

Ferguson continued saying, “We are grateful to Tompkins County for providing this funding and look forward to strengthening the ten grant recipients.”

On June 9th at 7 pm, the City of Ithaca Democratic and Local Ward Committees will sponsor a Zoom Forum for voters in the New Third Ward. The event will be hosted by Fred Balfour and see Common Council Candidates Dr. Nathan Sitaraman and David Shapiro answer questions.

Seen

The Traditional Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Healing located in Press Bay Alley celebrated the opening of their new space on Friday June 2.

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Question Of The Week

Do you think that Ithaca should enforce a camping ban in certain areas of the City?

You voted: No. It would criminalize homelessness.

11.2% Yes. Enforcing camping bans protects public safety.

87.5% No. It would criminalize homelessness.

1.3% I don’’t care.

Do you think Ithaca College should install a turf field at Butterfield Stadium?

Visit ithaca.com to submit your response.